___ Nicaragua

Destination Nicaragua, a virtual guide to this country in the center of the Central American isthmus, bordering both the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) and the North Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Costa Rica and Honduras, and it shares maritime borders with Colombia and El Salvador.

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, it occupies an area of 130,370 km², compared it is somewhat larger than half the size of the United Kingdom or slightly smaller than the state of New York.

The country has a variety of climates and terrains, its landscape offers extensive coastal plains at the Atlantic, lowlands at the Pacific and interior mountains in the central highlands. Highest point is the peak of Cerro Mogoton, the stated elevation might be incorrect – figures vary between 2,094 m, 2,107 m and 2,438 m above sea level, but anyway, Pico Mogoton the highest mountain in the country. Nicaragua is famous for a lot of lakes and volcanoes. The two largest fresh water lakes in Central America, Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua, are located there.

The country has a population of 6.2 million people (est. in 2017). Capital and largest city is Managua, almost one quarter of the country's population lives in the city. Spoken languages are Spanish (official), and several regional recognized languages like Miskito, Rama, Sumo, Miskito Coastal Creole, Garifuna, and Rama Cay Creole.

Republic of Nicaragua | Republica de Nicaragua

Country Profile

Background:
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Settled as a colony of Spain
in the 1520s, Nicaragua gained its independence in 1821.
Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes
by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista
guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused
the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s.
Free elections in 1990 and again in 1996 saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country
has slowly rebuilt its economy during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane
Mitch in 1998.

Government:
Type: Republic.
Independence: 1821 (from Spain).
Constitution: The 1987 Sandinista-era Constitution was changed in 1995 to provide
for a more even distribution of power among the four branches of government and
again in 2000 to increase the Supreme Court and the Controller General's Office
and to make changes to the electoral laws.

Palace of Culture, the former National Palace (Palacio Nacional) in Nicaragua's capital Managua was until 1979 home to the National Congress. Today it is used as a museum, an archive, and it houses the National Library.

Political system
Nicaragua is a presidential representative 'democratic' republic, or more precise, a family run business. President Daniel Ortega is head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. His wife Rosario Murillo is now the Vice-president and 'communications chief'. Ortega, a Nicaraguan guerrilla leader and chairman of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) became first Nicaragua's president in January 1985, then in January 2007 and he managed to find a legal way to stay in power after January 2012, when his second and last government period was expected to end.
Legislative power is vested in both the government and Nicaragua's weak unicameral National Assembly, which is elected by proportional representation for five years.

Nicaragua's radio and TV are the main sources of news. Reporters Without Borders has noted that President Daniel Ortega’s re-election in November 2016 for a third consecutive term was accompanied by mistreatment of Nicaraguan journalists, especially those with independent or opposition media outlets. Journalism as a whole is stigmatized and journalists are often the targets of harassment campaigns, arbitrary arrests, and death threats.

Arts & Culture

Ernesto
Cardenal
Ernesto Cardenal is a major poet of the Spanish language and a spokesman for justice
and self-determination in Latin America.Rubén Darío
The Nicaraguan poet who changed the course of Spanish poetry and brought it into
the mainstream of twentieth-century.Museo Archivo
Rubén Darío
The Rubén Darío museum (in Spanish).Casa de los Tres Mundos
The Casa de los Tres Mundos Foundation is a catalyst for cultural exchange between
Central America and the rest of the world.

Business & Economy

Nicaragua is primarily an agricultural country with small industries. It is the least developed country in Central America. Coffee is one of the country's principal products. Other top exports of Nicaragua are insulated wire, knit ware, gold, and frozen bovine meat.

Nature
Conservancy
Nature Conservancy is working with Nicaragua's leading environmental organizations
to protect the country's rich natural heritage.

History

The country's meagre national wealth benefited mainly a few elite families of Spanish descent, in particular the Somoza family in the mid-20th century. This dynasty ruled the country with US backing between 1937 and the Sandinista revolution in 1979. Since the 1850's, the U.S. government has intervened in Nicaragua numerous times, creating puppet governments to protect its economic and political interests.